Give extra turkey a twist

Published: Wednesday, November 21, 2012 at 4:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, November 20, 2012 at 1:44 p.m.

In the days and weeks leading up to the big day, we all look forward to leftovers as a great reward for all the work put into the Thanksgiving dinner.

But, honestly, how many times can you heat up the same collection you had on Thursday? This year, opt for a few different uses of leftovers that won't make your stomach revolt at the thought of "Oh, no, more turkey."

Use the shredded turkey in just about anything that calls for cooked chicken meat. Use your imagination to make your turkey leftovers much more appealing for days to come.

Use a knife to carefully split open one end of the corn cake and wiggle in your fingers to make a pocket. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, toss together the turkey, avocado, red onion, jalapeno, bell pepper and herbs. Season to taste with salt, freshly ground black pepper and lime juice.

Carefully spoon about 3 tablespoons of chicken filling into each corn cake. Serve with chipotle sour cream and garnish with cilantro.

Corn Cakes

2 cups masa flour

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon vegetable or corn oil

2½ cups very hot water

Oil for frying

In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Make a well in the center of the flour, pour in oil and water. Stir with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together. Dump dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap and pat dough into a mound. Wrap tightly and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Knead dough for 5 minutes, wetting your hands in water as needed, until the dough becomes soft but not sticky. Shape corn cakes into roughly 3-inch rounds, ¾ inch thick.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a frying pan or cast-iron skillet, heat about ¼ inch of oil. Cook corn cakes, flipping once, until a golden brown crust forms. Transfer to the oven and allow to cook for 15-20 minutes or until it sounds hollow when tapped.

Chipotle Sour Cream

2-3 chipotle peppers, minced

1 clove garlic, peeled and grated

1 cup sour cream

Lime juice, to taste

In a small mixing bowl, mix together chipotles, garlic and sour cream. Season to taste with lime juice.

Mole Poblano Chicken Tostadas

Mole Poblano

6 dried pasilla chiles, stems and seeds removed

6 dried ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed

Canola oil

1 cup almonds

½ cup pumpkin seeds

2 tablespoons sesame seeds, plus additional for garnish

2 corn tortillas, torn into pieces

½ cup raisins

1 onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, grated

½ teaspoon ground cloves

½ teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground coriander

2 cans diced tomatoes

About 1 cup chicken stock

3-4 cups shredded cooked turkey

2 ounces bittersweet chocolate

Heat a large fry pan over medium heat. Add the pasilla and ancho chiles to the pan, and toast until fragrant. Remove chiles from pan, and place in a small bowl of warm water. Soak until soft and pliable, about 30 minutes. Remove chiles from the water, and reserve excess water.

Meanwhile, add enough canola oil to cover the bottom of the same fry pan. Heat oil over medium high.

Add the almonds, pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds to the pan, and fry until fragrant and starting to turn golden. Remove from the pan, and set aside.

Add pieces of corn tortilla to the pan, and fry until golden brown. Remove from the pan, and set aside.

Add raisins to the pan, and fry until plump. Remove from the pan, and set aside.

Add more oil to the pan if needed, and add the onions to the pan. Cook until onions are translucent.

Add the garlic, cloves, cinnamon and coriander to the pan with the onions, and cook until the garlic and spices are fragrant.

Add the tomatoes to the pan, and cook mixture until it is thickened and reduced and most of the liquid has evaporated. Turn off heat, and let mixture cool slightly.

Place the tomato-onion mixture in the bowl of a food processor, along with the pasilla chiles, ancho chiles, almonds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, fried corn tortillas and raisins. Process until smooth, adding reserved chile water as needed to thin the sauce.

Heat a large saute pan over medium-high. Add enough canola oil to cover the bottom of the pan.

Return the sauce to the pan, and add shredded turkey

Add the chocolate to the pan, and stir until chocolate is melted. Turn heat down to low, and simmer until sauce has reduced, about 20 minutes. Season sauce with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Tostadas

Canola or corn oil

Corn tortillas

Lettuce leaves, shredded

Tomato, diced

Jack cheese, grated

Sour cream

Cilantro leaves

Heat oil in a shallow fry pan until hot.

Fry tortillas in oil until golden brown and crispy. Remove from oil, drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt.

Top each tortilla with some of the chicken and mole sauce, lettuce, tomato, sour cream and cilantro.

<p>In the days and weeks leading up to the big day, we all look forward to leftovers as a great reward for all the work put into the Thanksgiving dinner. </p><p>But, honestly, how many times can you heat up the same collection you had on Thursday? This year, opt for a few different uses of leftovers that won't make your stomach revolt at the thought of "Oh, no, more turkey."</p><p>Use the shredded turkey in just about anything that calls for cooked chicken meat. Use your imagination to make your turkey leftovers much more appealing for days to come.</p><p>Venezuelan Turkey and Avocado-Stuffed Corn Cakes With Chipotle Sour Cream</p><p>12 Corn Cakes (recipe follows)</p><p>4 cups cooked turkey, shredded</p><p>2 ripe avocados, pitted and diced</p><p>½ red onion, very small dice</p><p>½ jalapeno; ribs and seeds removed; minced</p><p>½ red bell pepper, very small dice</p><p>2-3 mint leaves, chiffonade</p><p>¼ cup cilantro, chopped, plus additional for garnish</p><p>Lime juice, to taste</p><p>Chipotle Sour Cream (recipe follows)</p><p>Use a knife to carefully split open one end of the corn cake and wiggle in your fingers to make a pocket. Set aside.</p><p>In a large mixing bowl, toss together the turkey, avocado, red onion, jalapeno, bell pepper and herbs. Season to taste with salt, freshly ground black pepper and lime juice.</p><p>Carefully spoon about 3 tablespoons of chicken filling into each corn cake. Serve with chipotle sour cream and garnish with cilantro.</p><p>Corn Cakes </p><p>2 cups masa flour </p><p>2 teaspoons salt</p><p>1 teaspoon vegetable or corn oil</p><p>2½ cups very hot water</p><p>Oil for frying</p><p>In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Make a well in the center of the flour, pour in oil and water. Stir with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together. Dump dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap and pat dough into a mound. Wrap tightly and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Knead dough for 5 minutes, wetting your hands in water as needed, until the dough becomes soft but not sticky. Shape corn cakes into roughly 3-inch rounds, ¾ inch thick.</p><p>Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a frying pan or cast-iron skillet, heat about ¼ inch of oil. Cook corn cakes, flipping once, until a golden brown crust forms. Transfer to the oven and allow to cook for 15-20 minutes or until it sounds hollow when tapped. </p><p>Chipotle Sour Cream </p><p>2-3 chipotle peppers, minced</p><p>1 clove garlic, peeled and grated</p><p>1 cup sour cream</p><p>Lime juice, to taste </p><p>In a small mixing bowl, mix together chipotles, garlic and sour cream. Season to taste with lime juice.</p><p>Mole Poblano Chicken Tostadas</p><p>Mole Poblano</p><p>6 dried pasilla chiles, stems and seeds removed</p><p>6 dried ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed</p><p>Canola oil</p><p>1 cup almonds</p><p>½ cup pumpkin seeds</p><p>2 tablespoons sesame seeds, plus additional for garnish</p><p>2 corn tortillas, torn into pieces</p><p>½ cup raisins</p><p>1 onion, diced</p><p>4 cloves garlic, grated </p><p>½ teaspoon ground cloves</p><p>½ teaspoon cinnamon</p><p>½ teaspoon ground coriander</p><p>2 cans diced tomatoes</p><p>About 1 cup chicken stock</p><p>3-4 cups shredded cooked turkey</p><p>2 ounces bittersweet chocolate</p><p>Heat a large fry pan over medium heat. Add the pasilla and ancho chiles to the pan, and toast until fragrant. Remove chiles from pan, and place in a small bowl of warm water. Soak until soft and pliable, about 30 minutes. Remove chiles from the water, and reserve excess water.</p><p>Meanwhile, add enough canola oil to cover the bottom of the same fry pan. Heat oil over medium high.</p><p>Add the almonds, pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds to the pan, and fry until fragrant and starting to turn golden. Remove from the pan, and set aside.</p><p>Add pieces of corn tortilla to the pan, and fry until golden brown. Remove from the pan, and set aside.</p><p>Add raisins to the pan, and fry until plump. Remove from the pan, and set aside.</p><p>Add more oil to the pan if needed, and add the onions to the pan. Cook until onions are translucent.</p><p>Add the garlic, cloves, cinnamon and coriander to the pan with the onions, and cook until the garlic and spices are fragrant. </p><p>Add the tomatoes to the pan, and cook mixture until it is thickened and reduced and most of the liquid has evaporated. Turn off heat, and let mixture cool slightly.</p><p>Place the tomato-onion mixture in the bowl of a food processor, along with the pasilla chiles, ancho chiles, almonds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, fried corn tortillas and raisins. Process until smooth, adding reserved chile water as needed to thin the sauce.</p><p>Heat a large saute pan over medium-high. Add enough canola oil to cover the bottom of the pan.</p><p>Return the sauce to the pan, and add shredded turkey</p><p>Add the chocolate to the pan, and stir until chocolate is melted. Turn heat down to low, and simmer until sauce has reduced, about 20 minutes. Season sauce with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.</p><p>Tostadas</p><p>Canola or corn oil</p><p>Corn tortillas</p><p>Lettuce leaves, shredded</p><p>Tomato, diced</p><p>Jack cheese, grated</p><p>Sour cream</p><p>Cilantro leaves</p><p>Heat oil in a shallow fry pan until hot. </p><p>Fry tortillas in oil until golden brown and crispy. Remove from oil, drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt.</p><p>Top each tortilla with some of the chicken and mole sauce, lettuce, tomato, sour cream and cilantro.</p><p>Reach Season Stepp at Season28@aol.com.</p>